neglected by the world; denied deserved recognition
A literary yojijukugo describing a person of talent or virtue who is ignored by society and fails to attain the status they merit. Rare in modern usage; found mainly in classical or formal writing.
He is said to have lived a life neglected by the world.
不遇 alone means 'misfortune' or 'obscurity', but 轗軻不遇 specifically emphasizes being denied recognition despite merit.
轗軻 is an older term for a difficult, bumpy road, metaphorically extended to a life of hardship and lack of recognition. 轗軻不遇 combines this with 不遇 to intensify the sense of undeserved neglect.
A yojijukugo combining 轗軻 (kan ka, 'rough road; hardships') and 不遇 (fugū, 'misfortune; lack of recognition'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it follows a classical pattern of pairing near-synonymous compounds to intensify meaning.